", "I wholeheartedly reject any assertation that I've engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country," Blanton said. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately," McCarthy tweeted. [5], President Donald Trump nominated Blanton on December 9, 2019, for a ten-year term as Architect of the Capitol. Haley Talbot is an associate producer in the NBC News Washington bureau. Democratic New York Rep. Joe Morelle, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, confirmed the firing in a statement. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, Mr. McCarthy tweeted Monday. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also called for Blanton's dismissal Monday. Ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) was so unsatisfied by Blantons performance, he called for his resignation #FireBlanton https://t.co/Ijf1xNCsxY. President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton on Monday following allegations that he misused government resources and was not President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. here for reprint permission. [9], As a result, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, an omnibus spending bill, included a clause in the AOC budget "That none of the funds appropriated or made available under this heading in this Act or any other Act, including previous Acts, may be used for a home-to-work vehicle for the Architect or a duly authorized designee". Blanton is one of three voting members of the United States Capitol Police Board, which oversees the USCP. No Architect has ever been removed by Congress, but the Senate is considering legislation that would clarify that the position is subject to impeachment. You can see things didnt go well for Blanton. Biden terminated Blanton after bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation were sounded by members of Congress, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. All Rights Reserved. We publish the objective news, period. Biden "terminated" Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. It said he committed "administrative, ethical and policy violations," including misuse of a government-issued vehicle and falsely giving the impression that he was a member of law enforcement. Im outraged that you would be in a comfortable place, sir, while the rest of us were thinking about dying that day and how we were going to come out alive that day, Democratic California Rep. Norma Torres said at the hearing. Blanton did himself few favors with his testimony to the House Administration Committee last week in which he admitted to being absent from the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: American Digest, 3000 S. Hulen Street, Ste 124 #1064, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, US, https://americandigest.com. The job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. In Thursday's hearing, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle jumped on learning that Blanton was not physically present on Capitol grounds on the day of the insurrection, January 6, 2021. Democratic lawmakers are calling for the resignation of J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, over a scathing federal watchdog report that found he abused his Blanton said he was monitoring developments remotely during the Jan. 6 riot. Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton was fired by President Biden Monday for a series of ethical violations, including his not being present on the grounds during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. However, there surely are many more in the D.C. swamp doing what Blanton did without facing consequences. The inspector generals report, released in October, said Blanton had misused his government vehicle by driving it to vacation destinations and allowing his family to use it for personal matters. "We take the IG report seriously and the request from members of Congress seriously as well and are evaluating next steps," she said. Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, the Republican heading the committee, asked if Blanton had impersonated a law enforcement officer, as alleged in the report. Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday. Mr. Blanton faced growing calls to step down from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who urged his resignation on Monday. The federal watchdog also accused Blanton, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, of ethics violations over an offer to provide tours to patriots weeks before the November 2020 election. [1] He was sworn in on January 16, 2020.[7]. The White House terminated Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's appointment on Monday. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been The result was mixed, Majority of voters, plurality of Democrats say Biden is too old to run again, *Gulp* Finland is building a wall on Russia's border, Maher on CNN: If its Biden against Trump, Biden will win thats a good bet", George Santos' CNN Response Is a Master Troll Move, Biden owns border critics with chuckling reminder this mom's sons died of fentanyl overdoses in 2020, Shock Report: FBI Agents Did Not Want to Raid Mar-a-Lago. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy. The board and its structure, as well as its ability to quickly authorize outside assistance during emergencies, came under scrutiny after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Based on the conduct alleged by the Inspector General and todays testimony, I am no longer confident in Mr. Blantons ability to effectively perform the duties of his office. U.S. Capitol Architect, Brett Blanton, remains under scrutiny after an intense House of Administration hearing, last Thursday. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The White House fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton on Monday following complaints from a bipartisan group of Congress-members and the threat of impeachment. "If I'm at Home Depot and something happens, there would be a delayed response getting to the Capitol," Blanton told lawmakers. Blanton said it "would have been not prudent" to drive to the Capitol that day because of the crowds,and he told the panel of lawmakers that he instead used the car as his "mobile command center" during the attack. He said he was using his official vehicle at the mobile command post. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. He should resign or President Biden should remove him If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news: Get news from American Digest in your inbox. Blanton was dismissed months after an inspector generals report substantiated claims that he had abused his authority. I am outraged to hear that you were be in a comfortable place, sir, while the rest of us were thinking about dying that day and how we were going to come out alive that day, Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) said during the hearing, saying that a police officer could not close or lock a door because he did not have the keys. Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton was fired by President Biden Monday for a series of ethical violations, including his not being present on the grounds during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday called on Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton to resign after damaging inspector general report last fall. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Never use the company vehicle for personal business. Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. When asked if he had used a government vehicle for personal use, Blanton said that he wouldn't characterize his use of the vehicle as personal. The House Republicans' Twitter account on Friday requested Biden to remove Blanton immediately. He wasnt able to drive there. Blanton, who remains the only member of the U.S. Capitol Police Board not to resign in the wake of the incident, also answered questions about his misuse of government-provided SUVs and deliberate misrepresentation of himself as a police officer among other accusations which include giving private tours to patriots in the weeks President Biden fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton Monday after lawmakers from both sides of the aisle demanded he resign or be fired. "If you need to be tethered, and if you needed a vehicle to be here, why did you make the decision not to come here and could you not have without the vehicle and all the emergency equipment that's attached to it? I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately," he said in a statement. WaPo: FBI resisted Mar-a-Lago raid, DoJ prosecutors demanded it. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Calls for Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blantons ouster or resignation are getting louder in the wake of a fiery House Administration hearing earlier this week. Following the reports release, six Democrats who chair committees that oversee the AOC called for Blantons removal, explaining that, Based on the Previous:McCarthy calls on the Architect of the Capitol to resign after damaging IG report. Steil also called for Blanton to resign Monday. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. ), the chair of the panel, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) joined Morelle in demanding Blantons ouster on Monday, making the calls bipartisan. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R It sure looks like he was derelict in his duties. You have permission to edit this article. The complaint said that the black SUV's driver was "extremely reckless in the parking garage and swerving out of the garage at a high rate of speed, estimated to be about 65 miles per hour in a 30-mph zone.". Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been accused of several infractions by both parties after a recent report. President Biden fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton Monday after lawmakers from both sides of the aisle demanded he resign or be fired. Last week, he was pressed about those findings and other issues, such as his absence from the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, as he was testifying before the House Administration Committee. [4] He retired from the Navy in 2015. Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., asked how that squared with the inspector general report's finding that Blanton's wife and daughter would sometimes take the car without him. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. Morelle called for Blantons resignation last week. After being given the opportunity to respond to numerous allegations of legal, ethical, and administrative violations, and failing to directly respond, the President has removed Mr. Brett Blanton from his position a decision I firmly stand behind, Mr. Morelle said in a statement. Blanton maintained at last weeks hearing that he needed to take the car with him on personal errands and vacations in case he needed to return to the Capitol or respond to an emergency, because it was equipped with certain communications devices. here for reprint permission. "You would have to address that with members of my family," Blanton responded. Blanton was appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump in 2019. His explanation of being off campus during the day of Jan. 6 enraged some lawmakers. In Thursday's hearing, Blanton unequivocally denied that he did anything unethical. Blanton was Whats Biden waiting for when it comes to 2024? "I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately, he said. Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go, the tweet read. According to the report, Blanton repeatedly misused his government-issued vehicle, misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer, and led private tours of the Capitol. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately," said Steil. The Inspector General report accused Blanton of using his government-owned vehicle as his and his family's personal car and offering private tours of the Capitol in September 2020, when the building was closed due to COVID, among other abuses. He referred to it as "an alternate work site" and said having to switch vehicles would slow him down. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - The report accused Blanton of ethics violations, abuse of government funds, and wasting taxpayer money. Frank Thorp V is a producer and off-air reporter covering Congress for NBC News, managing coverage of the Senate. President Biden on Monday fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton following allegations that he misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer and led banned tours, among other charges. Torres called for Blantons resignation shortly after the hearing. [10] Congressional representatives called for Blanton to resign. Meanwhile, the inspector general's report said Blanton's adult child called it "free gas" for her. "I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I have engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country while serving in this particular role, I have taken my commitment to transform the agency's culture to promote positive workplace for every AOC employee," Blanton said. President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton, who was responsible for maintaining the U.S. Capitol, amid mounting allegations of ethics violations. At the hearing, Blanton said he was frustrated by the current distraction created by the inspector generals report.. Flip. The committees top Democrat, Rep. Joseph D. 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